Federal
Authorities Arrest Nine Linked to Drug Operation That Used Private
Jets to Smuggle Narcotics Across the U.S.

A wiretap investigation which examined the use of private jets based
at Van Nuys Airport to transport illegal drugs resulted today in the
arrest of nine defendants. The arrests are the result of Operation Jamaican
Express West, which focused on the activities of SmoothAir Aviation,
a charter company that allegedly facilitated the shipment of narcotics.

From
Left to Right: Marijuana Seized During Operation Jamaican
Express, Ecstasy Tablets Seized During Operation Jamaican Express
and A seized box of Ecstasy Tablets marked with the logo that
was stamped on many of the tablets.

The defendants in this case are charged in a criminal complaint with
multiple conspiracies to distribute controlled substances, money laundering
and structuring cash transactions. The criminal complaint, which was
filed on March 26, charges the following individuals:

Clarence
Rudolph Adolphus, 46, of Moorpark, who is co-owner of SmoothAir Aviation;

Mauricio Torres,
31, of Compton;

Daniel Franco-Acuna,
35, of Norwalk;

Juan Franco,
33, of Maywood;

Lester Aubrey
Bull, 40, of Diamond Bar, who is the owner of World Class Coachworks
(also known as World Coachworks or World Color World) in the
Hyde Park section of Los Angeles;

Pablo Rodolfo
Miranda, 38, of Compton;

Ramon Castillo
Martinez, 32, of the Echo Park section of Los Angeles;

Marybeth Emberland,
45, of Woodland Hills;

Blossom Marie
Thorndike, 26, of Moorpark.

Operation Jamaican Express West began in late 2002, following the seizures
of 560 pounds of marijuana (with a wholesale value of up to $1.1 million)
and $854,000 in cash from two separate private jet flights. Federal agents
began to investigate SmoothAir Aviation, which arranged the flights out of
Van Nuys Airport. The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint revealed
that Adolphus and Bull had been linked to large cocaine shipments by private
jet aircraft in 2001.

In June 2003, according
to the affidavit, investigators began using wiretaps on Adolphus’ cellular
telephones, as well as phones used by his clients, including Torres
and Franco, both of whom are suspected
of being high-ranking members of a large trafficking organization that
has ties to narcotics traffickers in Guadalajara.

The complaint alleges
that Adolphus offered private jet travel from Los Angeles to any city
and
that he promoted the service by claiming
his flights were not subject to searches and inspections required of
commercial passenger flights at major airports. Therefore, he assured
traffickers, they could fly their illegal cargo without risk of interference
by the police. Information obtained during the investigation showed that
Torres and others used Adolphus’ services to move drug loads without
detection. In fact, Torres told Adolphus in 2003 that his confederates
in Guadalajara wanted the exclusive use of Adolphus’ private jet
for six months to one year. However, on November 11, 2003, agents seized
a large shipment of drugs that was supposed to be transported by private
jet arranged by Adolphus. The shipment, belonging to Torres, was removed
from a jet leaving for Atlanta and included more than 20,000 tablets
of the club drug ecstasy and more than 345 pounds of marijuana.

This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized
Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) as a cooperative effort between
the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and
the Los Angeles Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (LA
IMPACT).